Is there Something in the Water in U.S. House Georgia District 10?

This is a very serious question. They sure seem to like their kooks in that district.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof … ”

First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

“I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between Church & State.”

Thomas Jefferson

Jody Hice who won the Republican primary and will take the place of fellow kook Paul Boun was recently quoted as saying ““You remove God and you remove religion and you remove the state from encouraging religious belief and you get more secularism, you get more problems, you get more crime, you get all, whatever, fill in the blank out there. And, end result, you get bigger government, which is just the opposite of the limited government system that our constitution guarantees us. Religion is an enormous part of the whole thing. Government has a responsibility at least to some extent to encourage religious belief because that is, as I said, the foundation upon which limited government can exist.”

It is frightening to think that a man whose beliefs regarding separation of church and state is the same as those of the taliban and ISIS, will soon be a member of Congress. When he says he encourages religious belief you can bet your last dollar he means encouraging the belief of his Lord and Savior to the exclusion of other beliefs and faiths.

What is even more frightening to learn is this district covers Athens, GA home of the University of Georgia. The university and students themselves are likely none to fond of Jody Hice, but the district as a whole seems to prefer some rather extreme candidates much to the embarrassment to many in Athens.

Ronald Reagan Would be Too Liberal for the 10th District

“We establish no religion in this country, we command no worship, we mandate no belief, nor will we ever. Church and state are, and must remain, separate.

All are free to believe or not believe, all are free to practice a faith or not, and those who believe are free, and should be free, to speak of and act on their belief.

At the same time that our Constitution prohibits state establishment of religion, it protects the free exercise of all religions. And walking this fine line requires government to be strictly neutral.”

Ronald Reagan

Jody Hice Might be Kookier than Broun

He won the Republican primary against Mike Collins who seems to be a far more reasonable and dare I say sane candidate by a mere 265 votes. So the next time you hear someone say your vote doesn’t count please smack them and make them read this article to make them understand why people need to vote.

From Daily Kos “Yes, it’s a district so conservative that they’d elect a roundworm in a suit, so long as the roundworm promised to keep the Muslims and other uppity folks in their place. (He’ll be challenged in the general by Democratic civil rights lawyer Ken Dious, but it’s a hard-right district.)

Hice On Islam

This is far from the first time Jody Hice has made controversial statements. Here is his comment about Muslims and Islam. ““Most people think Islam is a religion, it’s not…it’s a complete geopolitical structure and, as such, does not deserve First Amendment protection.”

He boasted of joining with other pastors in standing up to the IRS when they threatened to remove their churches’ tax exempt status if they discussed politics from the pulpit. But “Hice took his bold stand by formally endorsing a candidate in a Sunday message and sending a copy of it to the IRS.” Hice uses his religious pulpit to advocate not only political positions, but to formally endorse a political candidate. So while he denounces Islam for being politically focused, he brags about using his religious position to advocate for political issues and candidates.

Hice On Women

Hice commented that he has no problem if they seek elected office, as long as they do so with the permission of their husbands: ”If the woman’s within the authority of her husband, I don’t see a problem.”

Hice On Gays

Hice claimed in his 2012 book,It’s Now or Never: A Call to Reclaim America, that he uncovered a gay manifesto. He claimed this blueprint for the homosexual domination of America revealed their plans to “sodomize your sons” by seducing them “in your schools, in your dormitories, in your gymnasiums, in your locker rooms,” until “your sons shall become our minions and do our bidding. “ Hice was citing was a satirical column by gay writer Michael Swift, who was clearly mocking the idea of a scary, gay agenda. I guess he has no understanding of humor or satire.

Hice also claimed that gays have a tendency to lie and be violent. He also compared being gay to alcoholism, which it must be noted he did way before Rick Perry said the same thing. Do dumb minds think alike or was Perry Plagiarizing from Hice?

Hice on Sandy Hook

Hice stated that the horrific Sandy Hook elementary school shooting that resulted in 20 school children and six adults being shot to death was a consequence of America “kicking God out of the public square” when it ended mandatory state sponsored Christian prayers on schools.

Erick Erickson, a Fox News contributor and editor of the conservative website Red State, not only endorsed Hice in his June 19 column, but also boasted that he attended and spoke at one of Hice’s recent fundraisers. Erickson went on to write: “I am proud to support him…I am happy to encourage people to support him.” Exactly what are you proud of supporting? His homophobia, rants against women and Islam or all of those positions?

Before Hice there was Paul Broun

Broun stepped down to run for Senate but lost. Paul Broun is proud to be offering his ‘grassroots supporters’ a weapon of mass destruction to start off the New Year.

He also said that evolution and the big bang theory are “lies straight from the pit of Hell.”

“God’s word is true. I’ve come to understand that. All that stuff I was taught about evolution and embryology and the big bang theory, all that is lies straight from the pit of Hell,” said Broun, who is an MD. “It’s lies to try to keep me and all the folks who were taught that from understanding that they need a savior.”

You see, there are a lot of scientific data that I’ve found out as a scientist that actually show that this is really a young Earth. I don’t believe that the earth’s but about 9,000 years old. I believe it was created in six days as we know them. That’s what the Bible says.”

Funding NPR and Planned Parenthood is “Unconstitutional”: Broun once offered a truly astounding critique of federal funding for National Public Radio (NPR) and Planned Parenthood, saying that it’s simply unconstitutional to give them money. [4/6/2011]

Federal Employees Don’t Have Real Jobs: During an appearance on a radio job, he shrugged off the firing of 250,000 public employees that would’ve resulted from failing to hike the debt ceiling. He said they should get a “real job.” Does Broun not realize he is one? [6/7/2011]

The Civil War Was A “War Of Yankee Aggression,” Which Is Just Like Health Reform:This one just has to be seen to be believed. [3/18/2010]

We Should Repeal The 16th And 17th Amendments To Stop The “Socializing” Of America: Putting aside the fact that “socializing” simply means gathering with others and communicating, Broun was under the impression that allowing Americans to freely elect their Senators and allowing those Senators to levy an income tax will have us heading down the road to the Soviet Union. [7/2010]

The Federal Government Will Be Calling You Every Day To Make Sure You Eat Your Vegetables:Apparently this was supposed to be one of the effects of Obama’s health care overhauls. And no, Broun was not kidding. [9/2010]

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Musings of an unabashed and unapologetic liberal deep in the heart of a Red State. Crusader against obscurantism. Optimistic curmudgeon, snark jockey, lovably opinionated purveyor of wisdom and truth. Multi-lingual world traveller and part-time irreverent philosopher who dabbles in writing, political analysis, and social commentary. Attempting to provide some sanity and clarity to complex issues with a dash of sardonic wit and humor. Thanks for visiting!

One Response

Thanks Alan for the attention to Georgia”s 10th District. There’s no way to explain the voting habits of this district other than stupidity. Most people have forgotten Jody Hice’s fight with the ACLU 10 years ago over the display of the 10 Commandments at the Barrow County Courthouse and the weirdness that ensued. Protests that brought solidarity to the KKK and the African-American church, the House of Prayer, seemed to be be the ultimate embarrassment for our community. But then we got Paul Broun and the humiliation continued. Now we have Jody Hice Part Duece. Those 265 votes were a dagger to this long time Barrow County resident.